Marathon Running

And what was your reply? You can do this. And yes you'd better start training now. It'll be tough but what an accomplishment it will be.

i just ran my first half marathon in october. keep in mind i only started running in the early part of june! I started running outdoors as soon as possible. I did have to go to the gym because of daycare issues. I'd say make sure to train in the environment you will be running. I ran alot on flat surfaces so the hills and the bridge we had to cross was horrible! the runners world website has you plug in everything you want to do. then it gives you a schedule to follow to work on endurance and time. it really helped. plus, just being around all those people gave me the support i needed. my only goal was to run the whole thing and i did. my time was 2 hours and 30 min. not good but not bad, especially for my first time.

im doing another one in march. and i want to do the full new york marathon in a year or two.

also look into how to eat. i barley eat meat and i have a blood disease so i had to be careful. after the marathon i pretty much slept for 2 days straight!

I'm a big fan of the run/walk methods made popular by running guru Jeff Galloway, he has some training plans available for free on his website. A lot of statistical evidence has been compiled that proves most recreational runners will actually run a faster race by using a run/walk strategy (i.e. run 5 min, walk 1min, repeat). If you plan to use this strategy, you will want to purchase a sports watch with "interval timer" function so that your watch will beep at designated intervals to signal the start/end of your walk breaks

Personally I don't use the exact run/walk ratios that Galloway's website posts, however they are a good starting point if you are a new runner & you can adjust them if necessary to suit your needs. For example, I average an 11-min per mile pace on a "long run". Per Galloway method I should use 2:30 min to run, then 1min to walk, repeat. For me, this is a bit too frequent to walk so I usually use a 5 min run, then 1 min walk. But, if I am having a bad day and very tired, I might change to a 4/1 or even a 3/1 ratio.

Probably the most important factor in marathon training: REST. If your training plan calls for a rest day, TAKE IT. Most running injuries are caused by training too hard!

Hi all! I ran my first marathon in May of this year and will run my second in April 2011. Prior to the marathon I ran 3 halfs and numerous 5 and 10ks. I followed Hal Higdon's beginner plan and loved it. I would recommend having a solid base (10-20 miles per week) for at least 6 months prior to starting a training plan to avoid injury. As others have stated, it is important to stretch, cross train and take your scheduled rest days. Also, make sure you have proper shoes prior to starting any running program. I started running in old shoes that I had "fitted" myself for and had shin, knee and foot pain. I went to a local running store to be properly fitted and those issues disappeared!

Best of luck to you and feel free to hit me up if you have any questions I might be able to answer.